Techniques for on-chip polarization management using polarizing waveguides

Abstract

A LiDAR system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam and a PSR a silicon nitride based waveguide to split and rotate an optical beam. The silicon nitride based waveguide includes a first silicon nitride segment including a first layer and a second layer, the first silicon nitride segment having tapered widths along a longitudinal direction. The second layer includes a first section extending from a first end of the first silicon nitride segment to a converging plane with increasing widths and a second section extending from the converging plane to a second end of the first silicon nitride segment with decreasing widths. The LIDAR system further includes an optical element to generate a local oscillator (LO) signal and an optical detector to mix the target return signal with the LO signal to generate a heterodyne signal to extract range and velocity information of the target.